Page 6 of His Realm
“I believe the words to have similar meanings.”
I was too tired to argue, and more importantly, I just wanted to go on vacation.
After a few moments, Eris approached and stood over me, scowling in judgment as Brenna crouched down near my head.
“You’re bleeding again,” Eris announced. “Why are you always bleeding?”
“I’m not always bleeding,” I muttered petulantly.
She squinted at me.
“It’s a small cut,” I explained. “There were assassins at the ball and—”
“Of course there were,” she groaned, sounding pained.
“It’s not my fault,” I defended myself.
“No, it never is,” she muttered.
“Listen, I—”
“Remember over a year ago now when you were worried that we’d be bored being your personal guard?” Brenna began.
“This time it—”
“You must be more careful,” she insisted, looking at me like I was gum she wanted to scrape off the bottom of her shoe but was afraid to touch. Her aggrieved tone was just as bad. “You are the prince’s consort, and as such, if you see trouble, you must send for us when you’re someplace we cannot attend you.”
“Did it ever occur to you that maybe I had to act before I could do anything else?”
She turned to Zev. “We must petition the king that you accompany Jason everywhere going forward. Perhaps His Majesty needs to be reminded that the prince’s consort is, after all, merely human.”
Zev nodded.
“I hate you all,” I made known.
“Don’t be a child,” Dae-Jung admonished. “Brenna’s idea is marvelous, and you should be pleased she thought of such.”
“I liked it better when you were afraid of me.”
Soft, judgmental grunt from him. “I was never afraid of you, and that was a terrible thing to say, was it not?”
It was.
“Do you feel bad?” he pressed.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You must use your words, my consort.”
I exhaled sharply. “I do feel bad.”
“I would expect as much,” he allowed.
“Second sorry of the night.”
“Which I receive with an open heart.”
Really, he was gifted at making me feel like total crap.
